[/vc_column_text][mk_divider][vc_wp_text]At the 2019 Annual Meeting in San Diego, Randy Old (President of ACOR’s Board of Trustees) received the W. F. Albright Award. This award honors an individual who has shown special support or made outstanding service contributions to one of the overseas centers, ACOR, AIAR, CAARI, or to one of the overseas committees.
Randy Old receives the Albright Award at the 2019 Annual Meeting in San Diego.
Randolph B. Old, President, ACOR Board of Trustees, has been involved with ACOR since he and his family initially moved to Amman in 1975, when he met then ACOR Director Jim Sauer, thus beginning his long dedication to ACOR. This relationship was sustained even after they moved away from Jordan in the 1980s. Due to Randy’s expertise and commitment to the cultural heritage of Jordan, he was invited by the board to become a trustee in 1990, and by 1992 he assumed the role of Treasurer, overseeing the Board’s fiduciary responsibility for a full decade. Upon the retirement of Artemis Joukowsky from the Board Presidency in 2011, Randy was elected as Artie’s successor and has served in that role ever since. Randy presided over the Board during a period of expansion, as well as for ACOR’s 50th Anniversary Year in 2018. Randy’s enduring loyalty to ACOR has been manifested in many ways, including his almost 30 years of Board service, his close ties to individuals involved with ACOR, and particularly through his support for the library. Most noteworthy has been his constant commitment to the well-being of the institute as a vital part of Jordanian intellectual life and as an important cultural bridge between Jordan and the United States.
While he did not make a speech at the meeting, Old made this statement in reaction to receiving the Albright Award.
“Of course I am honored to have received the Albright Award, but I feel the real reward for being a member of ACOR’s Board for the last 30 years has been the friendships, the site visits, the projects, the meetings, dinners, celebrations, and problem solving in the world of archaeology that people with a lay background like me do not get a chance to be part of. The ACOR/ASOR family is wide, talented, fun and very different from my stodgy banking background. I feel my wife, our three children and their five children have benefited immensely from our ACOR relationship. We have deep roots in Jordan, calling it a second home, and it has been a significant part of our lives and growth.”
Nominate someone for an award. The deadline for service award nominations is September 11, 2020. The deadline for book award nominations September 18, 2020.[/vc_wp_text][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684098866{margin-right: 5px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_wp_posts title=”BROWSE THE NEWS ARCHIVE” number=”4″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684008271{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_column_text]Tweets by ASOResearch [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Pp. 1–18: “Settlement Processes in the Meron Ridges During the Iron Age I,” by Hayah Katz
The aim of this study is to reconstruct the settlement processes in the Meron Ridges during the Iron Age I. Although Yoḥanan Aharoni’s pioneering survey in the Upper Galilee was the foundation for later studies on this subject, only a handful of excavations were carried out in the region. In 1976, the Israel Department of Antiquities conducted a salvage excavation at Mt. Adir and revealed a fortress consisting of three main construction strata dating to the period between the late 11th and 9th centuries b.c.e. The excavation results were never published, which has enabled assumptions regarding its date and geo-political status. In the framework of this study, I publish the hitherto unpublished Mt. Adir finds. In addition, I re-examine the previously published sites at Tel Harashim, Sasa, and Horbat ʿAvot. An analysis of these finds indicates that the fortress at Mt. Adir was built as a government center by a local leader who ruled over the Canaanite settlers of the Meron Ridges area during the Iron Age I period.
ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.
Pp. 19-32: “Much Ado About a Small Thing: An Iron-Age Stamp Seal from Late Roman Beth Sheʿarim in Galilee,” by Adi Erlich
A stamp seal of the Iron Age has been found in a Late Roman level at Beth Sheʿarim, in a room that collapsed in the beginning of the 5th century c.e. The seal is of the bifacial type, with two complex scenes of royal and divine imagery, and is dated ca. 1000 b.c.e., some 1400 years prior to the archaeological context in which it was found. Although there are Iron Age II finds at Beth Sheʿarim, the seal seems to have found its way to a later phase not by accident, but deliberately collected and reused in the Late Roman town. The paper will explore this unique seal and the phenomenon of readopting old seals as talisman antiques during the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods in the region.
ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.
Pp. 33-59: “On the Raw Materials in the Ceramic Workshops of Jerusalem, Before and After 70 c.e.,” by Anat Cohen-Weinberger, Danit Levi, and Ron Beʾeri
A large area of pottery workshops was exposed west of the Old City of Jerusalem. This industrial area was operated by Jewish potters during the Hellenistic (Hasmonean) and Early Roman periods. After the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 c.e., the workshops were placed under the authority of the Xth Legion of the Roman military, who later established another workshop in close proximity to the previous ones. In this study, we examine whether and to what extent those historical and cultural changes are reflected in the production organization, manufacturing processes, and products. The research is based on new petrographic results of 129 ceramic products that were manufactured throughout the chronological sequence of this industrial area. The petrographic results indicate a significant change after 70 c.e. New pottery types (e.g., dolia, mortaria) and building materials (roof tiles, bricks, and tubuli) were produced in association with a new “recipe” and a different geological unit. This change in recipe included the intentional addition of quartz grains to the paste, in order to significantly increase the toughness of the products. We also discuss the reason for exploiting a different geological unit. This study may help in attributing vessels and building materials from other sites in the area to these workshops and provide insights into the nature of the workshops’ activity.
ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.
Pp. 61-78: “Birds in Transition: Bird Exploitation in the Southern Levant During the Late Bronze Age, Iron Age I, and Iron Age II,” by Abra Spiciarich
Birds and the exploitation of birds by humans are typically overlooked in archaeofaunal collections. While the frequency of avian remains does not rival those of domestic livestock, that does not render them insignificant in the overall animal economies of Levantine sites. Birds and humans have a long history in the southern Levant, from prehistoric food source to sacrificial offering. Avian remains have been identified, in all periods, at many sites throughout the southern Levant, allowing for an in-depth diachronic exploration to be conducted. This paper tracks the presence and frequency of major avian species—specifically geese, ducks, partridges, pigeons, and doves—in light of changes that occurred in climate, environment, agriculture, trade, and the geopolitical landscape, as well as processes of cultural emulation and cultic influence that took place in the southern Levant during the Late Bronze Age, Iron Age I, and Iron Age II. The key foci will be on the role of geese in cultural emulation, pigeons as sacrificial offerings, waterfowl affected by climate change, and the differences between local vs. import exploitation of birds.
ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.
Pp. 79-95: “Chalkstone Vessels from Sepphoris: Galilean Production in Roman Times,” Maya Sherman, Zeev Weiss, Tami Zilberman, and Gal Yasur
Stone vessels were used in Judaea and the Galilee from the second half of the 1st century b.c.e. until the 2nd century c.e., when it is widely accepted that they were phased out. This study focuses on the major types of chalkstone vessels uncovered in Roman Sepphoris, identifies the unique forms in the assemblage, and discusses the technological issues pertaining to their production. The findings presented in this study suggest that the stone vessels in the Galilee, unlike those in Judaea, did not disappear immediately but were found in layers associated with the Late Roman period (mid-2nd to 4th centuries), thus indicating their continual use. In tracing the sources of the chalkstone vessels, the geochemical analysis employed in this study shows that large numbers of vessels used by Sepphoreans were evidently produced in local quarries of the Lower Galilee.
ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.
Pp. 97-113: “The Color-Inlaid ‘Champlevé’ Reliefs of the Synagogue at Sardis*,” by Marcus Rautman
One of the notable features of the Sardis Synagogue was its extensive decoration with floor mosaics, wall paintings, marble revetment, and opus sectile, with an ornamental relief arcade also appearing in the forecourt. Reliefs carved in the distinctive “champlevé” technique presented a series of arches with spandrels featuring vases, vines, and birds set against a reddish ground. The sculptural approach is not well known in the region, although examples of similar work have been reported across Europe and the east Mediterranean, most notably at Aizanoi, Antioch, and Kourion. Other fragments of incised and color-inlaid relief at Sardis suggest that the Synagogue arcade was carved by sculptors who were both familiar with the site and aware of broader trends in architectural ornament in the 6th century c.e.
*Remembering Gene Kleinbauer (1937–2019)—teacher, mentor, and friend
ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.
Pp. 115-136: “Between the Highland Polity and Philistia: The United Monarchy and the Resettlement of the Shephelah in the Iron Age IIA, with a Special Focus on Tel ʿEton and Khirbet Qeiyafa,” by Avraham Faust
The Shephelah, one of Judah’s 8th century b.c.e. settlement hubs, was sparsely settled during the Iron Age I, when only a small Canaanite enclave survived in its eastern part. The resettlement of the Shephelah, beginning during the Iron Age I–II transition and lasting over 200 years, was a complex process that had two different facets. The first, better-known facet is the gradual establishment of dozens of new sites, the vast majority of which had clear connections to the highlands polity (e.g., Lachish, Tel Zayit, Tel Burna). The second, less-discussed facet is the transformations experienced by the few settlements that existed in the region in the Iron Age I, most notably Tell Beit Mirsim, Beth-Shemesh, Tel ʿEton, and Tel Halif. After presenting background data, the article will offer a detailed reconstruction of the processes through which the Shephelah became part of the highland polity, with a special focus on Tel ʿEton and on the enigmatic, earlier, and short-lived site of Khirbet Qeiyafa. The paper will conclude with a detailed refutation of the recent suggestion that the small Iron Age I Canaanite enclave that existed in the eastern Shephelah developed into a large Iron Age IIA Canaanite polity.
ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.
Pp. 137-140: “The Alphabetic ‘Scribe’ of the Lachish Jar Inscription and the Hieratic Tradition in the Early Iron Age,” by William M. Schniedewind
The recently published 12th century b.c.e. jar inscription from Lachish was described as “undecipherable.” This article offers a plausible interpretation suggesting a mixed inscription using linear alphabetic and an adaptation of the hieratic Egyptian accounting tradition. The inscription thus would stand at a transition point—namely, when linear alphabetic was beginning to be used administratively and when the Egyptian hieratic tradition was being adopted by alphabetic scribes.
ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.
Pp. 141-173: “An Archaeological Survey of the Arab Village of Bureir: Perspectives on the Late Ottoman and British Mandate Period in Southern Israel,” by Benjamin Saidel, Rachel Hallote, Tali Erickson-Gini, Bernard Schecter, and James W. Hardin
This report presents the results of an archaeological survey of Bureir, Israel—a village site of the Ottoman and British Mandate periods. Serious archaeological study of the 19th and 20th centuries c.e. in the Levant is still relatively new, and the intent of this survey was to provide archaeological data to use in tandem with the large amount of historical information available for this village. The survey materials yielded information about Bureir’s economy and mode of subsistence as it changed through time, giving a detailed picture of a village within both local and regional contexts.
ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you before attempting to read this article. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the above article on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.
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ASOR Members with online access: navigate to the token link email sent to you before attempting to read this issue. Once you have activated your member token, click here to access the the entire issue, including book reviews, on The University of Chicago Press Journals’ website.
[/vc_column_text][mk_divider][vc_wp_text]ASOR celebrates 120 years in 2020. In honor of this anniversary, throughout the year we will be posting a history of ASOR, from its foundation to the present. This will include the many accomplishments and activities of ASOR members and ASOR as an organization. Join us as we delve deeper into ASOR’s history with images and anecdotes from the ASOR archives.
Imperial Firman issued to the American Schools of Oriental Research by the Ottoman Empire.
The foundation of ASOR can be traced to the late Nineteenth Century, when multiple academic organizations recognized the need for “establishing an overseas research center in the Near East” (Meyers 2001; 4). With the help of the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA), American Oriental Society (AOS), and the Society for Biblical Literature (SBL), ASOR was founded as the American School of Oriental Study and Research in Palestine. Originally intended as an organization to study scripture in the Holy Land, its parameters were expanded to include “linguistic, archaeological, historical, and other kindred studies and researches” within the Levant (From Founding Resolutions, 1900 in Meyers 200; 3). With support from 21 academic institutions, the scope of the American School of Oriental Study and Research in Palestine began to include research from different time periods and cultures throughout the Near East.
With the research goals established, ASOR needed a physical home from which to conduct business and research. Under leadership from the first Director, Charles C. Torrey, an Imperial Firman from the Ottoman Empire was granted for the formation of offices in Jerusalem. Beginning at the Grand New Hotel near the Jaffa Gate, the American School of Oriental Study and Research in Palestine led a nomadic existence for the next 24 years. There was no permanent home for the organization until 1924 when under the direction of William F. Albright, the Jerusalem School was constructed.
Sarcophagus from excavation at Sidon.
Throughout the first two-decades of ASOR’s existence, research took place at an inconsistent pace due to the instability of the region, the First World War and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Despite this, the first archaeological excavation, led by Torrey, began in 1901 at the tombs at Sidon. Further excavations were led to Samaria in 1908 through the funding of Reverend James B. Nies, PhD., a regular and generous donor to ASOR during its first years. A significant step for ASOR was the publication of first issue of Bulletin of the American School of Oriental Research (BASOR) in 1919. Publication of this annual journal has occurred for the past 101 years, detailing research in the Near East.
The most significant moment in ASOR’s early decades was the legal incorporation of the organization in the United States in 1921. These articles formally changed the name to the American Schools of Oriental Research, which “was suggestive of the expansion of geographical interests and the development of other research institutes” (Meyers 2001; 11). This marked a turning point for ASOR in which the organization broadened its research interests and capabilities.
Sources:
Meyers, Eric M. and Joe D. Seger. 2001. ASOR: A History of the American Schools of Oriental Research. In An ASOR Mosaic, edited by Joe D. Seger, pp. 2-103. American Schools of Oriental Research, Boston.[/vc_wp_text][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684098866{margin-right: 5px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_wp_posts title=”BROWSE THE NEWS ARCHIVE” number=”4″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684008271{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_column_text]Tweets by ASOResearch [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
The ASOR family is a strong and close one, and that fact has never been more evident than in these challenging and stressful times. Due to the rapidly changing situation with the COVID-19 crisis, we plan to update this letter at least bi-monthly.
Please know that we at ASOR are doing all that we can to serve our constituents, while keeping the safety and health of our members, volunteers, officers, and employees as our highest priority.
First, we want to share (and in some cases repeat) the things we are doing to ensure that everyone is as safe as possible:
Health and Safety of ASOR members and staff—To date, no ASOR full-time staff have experienced a COVID-19 illness. One former part-time staff member was presumptively positive, and fortunately that person has now recovered. Related, we learned that one member contracted the virus, and fortunately that member also has recovered. We are sad to report that one parent of a member passed away from a COVID-19 illness. If you are aware of anyone who has experienced an illness and if ASOR might provide assistance, please e-mail Andy Vaughn.
The ASOR Office—The James F. Strange Center—in Old Town Alexandria is operating on remote-only work schedule. The staff is staying in touch with frequent messaging and video conferencing. No layoffs have occurred, and we have received word that we have been approved for a SBA Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan that was made available through the CARES Act. Pending finalization of the loan and receipt of funds, we anticipate that much of this loan will be forgiven and effectively become a “grant.” Our dedicated staff has been, and continues to be, outstanding.
Physical Mail Delivery—ASOR’s ability to receive and to process physical mail has been greatly reduced. Please consider making membership payments and gifts via our secure online store. Please e-mail info@asor.org if you have questions or need help. You may also send us a phone number by e-mail if you would like us to call you to make a credit card payment over the phone (please do not send credit card information by e-mail).
The ASOR Board Meeting: We have rescheduled the meeting for May 14th, and it will be held as a virtual meeting. ASOR continues to test our new Zoom subscription, which we are using this platform more and more to carry out essential business.
Dig Scholarships, Excavation Grants, and Research Fellowships—After much consideration, ASOR decided to postpone all dig scholarships for excavation participants until 2021. We did not reach this decision lightly. We heard that more than 80% of ASOR-affiliated excavations have canceled their summer field work, and the remainder of the projects will most likely cancel as well. We anticipate deciding about excavation grants and research fellowships in late April or early May. We will segregate endowment distributions and gifts already received for awards in 2021, if necessary. Calendar year 2020 was shaping up to be our largest year ever for scholarships, grants, and fellowships, for which we are grateful to all of our supporters. We hope that the segregated funds will enable a 50% increase in funding over 2019 levels in 2021.
Second, we want to share some of the things that we are doing to support you, our members, while many are practicing social and physical distancing:
Membership Scholarships Available—If you have experienced a financial challenge because of the COVID-19 crisis (or if you know of an ASOR member who has a need), please ask about a membership scholarship. Some generous members of the ASOR family have pledged funds to pay the membership dues for anyone who has lost employment or substantial income because of this crisis. To date, we have awarded four such scholarships, and have pledges to support the anticipated need through June. Please contact Felice Herman or Andy Vaughn for more information.
Online Resources—The ASOR office staff (led by Marta Ostovich) has launched webpages to share resources supporting students, professors, and teachers at all levels who are participating in online education with little advance notice. These pages are expanding daily; we invite you to participate so that we can help each other by sharing ideas and expertise.
Online access to ASOR journals—The full-text and enhanced online access to ASOR journals have never been more important. Members with online access to journals can not only view the full text of articles, but all illustrations and figures may be downloaded seamlessly into Powerpoint. Click here for a webpage that outlines all of these features. Please e-mail Felice Herman if you have questions.
Publications—Thanks to the excellent work of our editorial teams, the ASOR staff, and our partnerships with University of Chicago Press and ISD, the production and distribution of ASOR journals and books continue without interruption. Everyone is working remotely as much as possible, and we do not anticipate any interruptions in fulfilling this vital member service.
Annual Meeting—We continue to prepare for our largest and best Annual Meeting in Boston in November. We expect more than 1,200 attendees; as of April 20, 2020, we already have 700 registrants. Because of the uncertainty of travel, we have extended the Early Bird registration rate until July 8, 2020. In late June, we will re-evaluate the situation and determine if a further extension is warranted. The Program Committee and ASOR staff are working remotely to ensure that the Annual Meeting program will be the strongest ever. We, of course, will keep the health of all participants as our highest priority.
General Operations—The ASOR staff and our volunteers continue to respond to e-mails and phone calls. With our staff working remotely, answering phones and voicemail may be delayed. Please consider sending an e-mail if you are able.
Shepard Urgent Action Grants—In the midst of so many things being postponed, we are thrilled to announce a new initiative that we hope to implement in spite of social distancing and self-quarantining efforts. Launched on April 2, 2020, these new grants are designed to address urgent needs for cultural heritage site mitigation and stabilization. Funding may be available in as little as 4-6 weeks following an application. Please check out the webpage and announcement.
Third, we need to share some challenges. We will continue to update you on these items. If you are aware of other issues that we should communicate in subsequent member correspondence, please let us know.
The programs at our Overseas Research Centers in Amman, Jerusalem, and Nicosia are suffering from travel restrictions and cutbacks in fieldwork. Significant portions of their income derive from visits to and work on ASOR field projects and other research, for which they provide essential support and services. For the most part, these projects have been cancelled for 2020. We have been in touch with all the directors. They are coping effectively with the changing circumstances. The Albright in Jerusalem has been particularly hit hard.
ASOR’s Endowment Accounts—Like many institutions, ASOR has invested our endowment accounts using an 80/20 allocation—80% in equities and 20% in bonds and cash. We have thus experienced a significant correction over the first quarter of 2020. As of March 31, 2020, most of our endowment accounts were down 12.1% for the fiscal year (July 1 – June 30). Because we maintain a 20% allocation in bonds and cash, we re-balanced our portfolios in April 2020, per our investment guidelines. We also make quarterly distributions based on averages from the last 12 quarters, so we will continue to be conservative in distributing funds from endowments. In addition, the Finance Committee voted unanimously to forego distributions from endowment accounts for excavation grants and dig scholarships for the 1st and 2nd quarters of 2020 in order to allow our accounts to recover some of their market losses. We have taken our normal distribution from our endowment for operations account, and we continue to use a conservative 3.5% withdraw rate.
ASOR’s Annual Fund (unrestricted giving)—While ASOR remains in sound financial shape, while we anticipate receiving a Paycheck Protection Program Loan to assist with staff salaries, and while we have modest accumulated funds to see us through a challenging year, we need members to consider unrestricted contributions and gifts. To date in this fiscal year (ends June 30, 2020), we have received less than half of the $125,000 that we budgeted for unrestricted giving. Click here to make a gift online.
Finally, we want to conclude as we began—your health and well-being is our highest concern. We are grateful for your continued support of ASOR and of your fellow members. You are, and continue to be, amazing.
Best regards,
Sharon Herbert, ASOR President (president@asor.org)
Richard Coffman, ASOR Board Chair (RCoffman@coffmanlawfirm.com)
Andy Vaughn, ASOR Executive Director (executive-director@asor.org)[/vc_wp_text][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684098866{margin-right: 5px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_wp_posts title=”BROWSE THE NEWS ARCHIVE” number=”4″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684008271{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_column_text]Tweets by ASOResearch [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
DEADLINE FOR EARLY-BIRD REGISTRATION EXTENDED TO JULY 8
[/vc_column_text][mk_divider][vc_wp_text]The ASOR staff and our many volunteers continue to prepare for our best Annual Meeting to date. At this point, we expect more than 1,200 attendees, and we are thrilled that we already have more than 700 registrants. Additionally, we are exploring ways that we might enhance the Annual Meeting with prerecorded online presentations and discussions.
Because of the uncertainty of travel during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and because of the changing situation for many of our members, we have extended the Early Bird registration rate until July 8, 2020. In late June, we will re-evaluate the situation and see if a further extension seems warranted. The Program Committee and ASOR staff are working remotely to ensure that the program will be the strongest ever.
During a time when so much is uncertain due to the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone at ASOR will do our best to provide information and answers in a timely manner. We, of course, will keep the health of all participants as our highest priority. If you have any questions, please contact Arlene Press, ASOR’s Director of Meetings and Events, atmeetings@asor.org.[/vc_wp_text][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684098866{margin-right: 5px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_wp_posts title=”BROWSE THE NEWS ARCHIVE” number=”4″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684008271{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_column_text]Tweets by ASOResearch [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF OLIVE OIL: EXCAVATING KHIRBET GHOZLAN IN JORDAN
Dr. Jamie Fraser, 2019 Harris Grant Recipient
On November 2, 2019, I drove up to a small knoll overlooking the stunning Wadi Rayyan in north Jordan, and started laying our trenches for the second field season of the Khirbet Ghozlan Excavation Project. Using funds generously awarded as a Harris Grant by ASOR, this project is asking new questions about the relationship between olive oil production and rural complexity in a period of urban recession known as the Early Bronze Age IV (EB IV, 2600-2000 BCE).
View to Khirbet Um al-Ghozlan in the Wadi Rayyan, Jordan. The monumental enclosure is visible running across the low saddle over which the site is accessed. Photo by Adam Carr.
Khirbet Um al-Ghozlan
Most archaeological surveys would classify the site of Khirbet Um al-Ghozlan (the “Ruins of the Mother of the Gazelles”) a farmstead, hamlet or village, as the site is a miniscule 0.4 ha in size. In this respect, Khirbet Ghozlan sits comfortably with our traditional understanding of the EB IV, which is described as a period of ruralization in which people abandoned large, fortified, mounded sites and dispersed into small, undefended villages.
However, Khirbet Ghozlan is remarkable for its monumental enclosure wall. Built partly as a double row of massive, megalithic slabs, this enclosure controlled access to the Ghozlan knoll. Why defend such a tiny site?
Excavations around part of the monumental enclosure wall. Note destruction by bulldozer (left). Orthophoto by Guy Hazell.
Olive oil and the EB IV
The answer probably lies in the site’s upland location. Khirbet Ghozlan is one of several EB IV enclosure sites, all located on the well-drained slopes of the Jordan Rift Valley escarpment. As these hills are well-suited to horticultural production, this project proposes that small enclosure sites served as specialized processing centers for upland tree crops such as olive (Olea europaea), and were defended to protect seasonally-produced stockpiles of high-value liquid commodities such as oil. In other words, could Khirbet Ghozlan be a 4,500 year-old olive oil factory and storehouse?
Excavating Khirbet Ghozlan
To test this model, a team from the British Museum and University of Sydney undertook excavations at Khirbet Ghozlan in March 2017 and November 2019.
Archaeologist Beau Spry excavating a broken-but-complete store jar in an EB IV storage compound. Photo by Adam Carr.
The results strongly support the olive hypothesis. Excavations uncovered a large architectural compound with several storage bins, and storage wares dominate the ceramic assemblage, including 26 partly-complete store jars and spouted decanting vats. Several long, notched Canaanean flint blades were possibly used as pruning saws, and four rock-cut olive presses were recorded nearby.
However, the most compelling data lies in the microscopic botanical remains. Using scanning electron microscopy, Dr Caroline Cartwright (Senior Research Scientist, British Museum), identified crushed olive stones and charred olive wood in the organic remains obtained through soil flotation. These data suggest that olive fruit was pressed for oil and olive wood was burned as fuel, likely stockpiled as orchard prunings.
Furthermore, the absence of other plant species such as domestic cereal grains and legumes suggests that people did not live at Khirbet Ghozlan permanently; rather, they probably visited the site seasonally to harvest and maintain their orchards. The single phase of unmodified architecture is consistent with limited occupation, and the paucity of domestic debris such as cooking pots and hearths suggests non-domestic activity.
Broken and complete Canaanean blades found during the 2019 excavation season. Photo by Adam Carr.
Removing crushed olive paste (jift) from fibrous mat at the Toubneh olive mill after the oil has been pressed. Photo by Annette Dukes.
It was particularly thrilling to dig our trenches through this ancient olive factory at the same time as farmers were picking olives in the orchards that surround the site. Olives are harvested in October-November, after the first autumn rains wash away the summer dust. The fruit is pressed in local olive mills. Locked up for most of the year, these factories come alive each autumn, when they turn the olive harvest into oil for domestic consumption or local trade.
We were lucky to accompany the Jordanian Minister for Agriculture on a visit to a traditional olive mill in the village of Toubneh in north Jordan. Although oil extraction is now mechanized, the stages of washing, crushing and pressing are unchanged. The Toubneh mill was a powerful analogy for interpreting our discoveries at Khirbet Ghozlan – two seasonal olive factories separated by 4,500 years.
Dr. Jamie Fraser is Senior Curator at the Nicholson Museum (University of Sydney), but will leave Australia to become Curator for the Ancient Levant and Anatolia at the British Museum in April 2020. His book Dolmens in the Levant was awarded the G. Ernest Wright Book Award at the 2018 ASOR Annual Meeting.
Additional links
Dr. Fraser presented a public lecture on this ASOR-funded project to ACOR in Amman on Oct 30, 2019. This lecture is available on-line at ACOR’s YouTube page here:
ASOR BOOK AWARD SPOTLIGHT: THE SOCIAL ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE LEVANT
[/vc_column_text][mk_divider][vc_wp_text]At the 2019 ASOR Annual Meeting in San Diego, Assaf Yasur-Landau, Eric H. Cline and Yorke M. Rowan were awarded the G. Ernest Wright Award for their book, The Social Archaeology of the Levant (Cambridge University Press). This award is given to the editor/author of the most substantial volume(s) dealing with archaeological material, excavation reports and material culture from the ancient Near East and eastern Mediterranean. This work must be the result of original research published within the past two years. One award is given annually.
The editors at the 2019 Annual Meeting in San Diego.
“In The Social Archaeology of the Levant, Assaf Yasur-Landau (Associate Professor, Department of Maritime Civilizations, University of Haifa), Eric H. Cline (Professor of Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies and Anthropology, George Washington University) and Yorke M. Rowan (Research Associate Professor, Oriental Institute, University of Chicago), bring together a carefully curated and well-edited collection of contributions focusing on the southern Levant. These contributions represent a wide temporal span, ranging from the Palaeolithic to the Islamic period and beyond, but they share a common approach that gives the volume a strong sense of unity. This shared approach is defined by an emphasis on bottom-up processes and perspectives to engage with big-picture questions of how ancient people lived their lives. Within this shared framework, however, individual authors emphasize different kinds of data, methodologies and theoretical frameworks to achieve this goal, from biological anthropology to epigraphy, and from the archaeology of gender to public heritage. The result is a significant contribution to the archaeology of the region that refocuses research agendas for the modern era by concentrating on big questions that are often lost in the detailed minutiae of ongoing archaeological debates.”
Upon accepting the award, the editors thanked the contributors to the volume: Arwa Badran, Edward B. Banning, Anna Belfer-Cohen, Erez Ben-Yosef, Andrea M. Berlin, Stephanie L. Budin, Shlomo Bunimovitz, Meredith S. Chesson, Susan L. Cohen, Yoram Cohen, Avraham Faust, Bill Finlayson, Nigel Goring-Morris, Philip Graham, Leore Grosman, Susan Guise Sheridan, Felix Höflmayer, David Ilan, Ian W. N. Jones, Rabei G. Khamisy, Morag M. Kersel, Aren M. Maeir, Nimrod Marom, Daniel M. Master, Natalie D. Munro, Benjamin W. Porter, Alexandra L. Ratzlaff, Gary O. Rollefson, Christopher A. Rollston, Ruth Shahack-Gross, Sariel Shalev, Katharina Streit, Oren Tal, and Itamar Taxel. They also thank the volume’s editors, Beatrice Rehl and Asya Graf, and copyeditor, Heather Heinrich.
The editors hope to enjoy such a large gathering with friends again soon![/vc_wp_text][mk_divider][vc_wp_text]
Nominate a book for the G. Ernest Wright award. The deadline for book award nominations September 18, 2020. The deadline for service award nominations is September 11, 2020.[/vc_wp_text][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684098866{margin-right: 5px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_wp_posts title=”BROWSE THE NEWS ARCHIVE” number=”4″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684008271{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_column_text]Tweets by ASOResearch [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
[/vc_column_text][mk_divider][vc_wp_text]By Andrea M. Berlin
Pottery from a single day of excavations at Tel Kedesh, Israel, laid out for study. Photo by author. Courtesy of the Tel Kedesh Excavations.
Of all material remains recovered by archaeologists, the most abundant is pottery. From the sixth millennium BCE down to the early twentieth century people have made clay vessels to store, prepare, cook, and serve food; hold perfume; ship commodities; burn oil for light; contain or serve as votive offerings; and, finally, help settle the dead in a more comfortable afterlife. Pottery leads us down a human path; it makes people visible.
The advantages of pottery go hand-in-hand with a huge obstacle: it is very hard to effectively disseminate all the information it conveys. Print publication has been, and continues to be, the most common mode. But print is ill-suited for fostering discussion or relaying changing ideas. Digital initiatives are an obvious solution, and several do exist that focus on pottery. All, however, are static repositories that enfold what is known at a certain moment in time. As archaeologists, we are always in a mode of discovery: finding new sites and more data, re-thinking older ideas. We need tools that can keep up, help us bring recent ideas into dialogue with older material, are easy to use, foster sharing, and enable us to readily learn from one other.
William Flinders Petrie, examining pottery from Tell el-Far’ah South, 1927, and Meg Morden, registering pottery at Tel Kedesh, 2008. Photo by author. Courtesy of the Tel Kedesh Excavations.
The Levantine Ceramics Project (LCP) is such a tool. The LCP is a custom-built, open access web application with a wide focus: all ceramics produced anywhere in the greater Levant, meaning the modern countries of Turkey, Syria, Cyprus, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, and Egypt, from Neolithic times (c. 5500 BCE) until the end of the Ottoman era (c. 1920 CE).
How does it work?
The LCP was built to be easy to use. It is free and open: anybody can consult the site, and anybody can register as a contributor and submit information, whether newly studied or long published, on ceramic wares and petro-fabrics, individual vessels and illustrations, petrographic descriptions and thin-sections, and kiln/workshop sites. There are no restrictions on terminology; contributors may submit the information they have, using their own names and descriptions. All submitted information remains linked to its original contributor(s), thus maintaining intellectual property, and contributors can edit their entries at any time. In terms of privacy, there are three sharing options: public, meaning fully visible to anybody who consults the site; restricted to specified individuals; or private (specific choices are easy to change). Finally, every page has a “get citation” button, making each entry a stable, digital publication.
[/vc_wp_text][vc_single_image image=”58854″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][mk_padding_divider][vc_single_image image=”58834″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][mk_padding_divider][vc_single_image image=”58856″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][mk_padding_divider][vc_wp_text]The LCP is not only an archive. It is also a tool for research. One example: maps! On the display pages for vessels, wares, and petrographic thin-sections, you can click a “View on map” button. Once on the map page, you can find a wide array of related data. For example, when viewing a vessel, you can ask to see other vessels of that shape, ware, date, etc. When viewing a ware, you can ask where vessels of that ware appear, where kilns producing that ware are, etc. Filter boxes allow you to refine displayed results.
Another analytical feature, introduced in 2019, is Edit History. When a contributor changes an entry, s/he has the option to keep a record of those changes via ‘edit history.’ On each display page, users can click a “View Edit History” button, which shows what was changed, and when, along with the earlier version. Over time, Edit History will create a history of scholarship about Levantine ceramics.
Digital and Print: long-term partners
The LCP offers a way to amplify the power of ASOR’s (and other) print publications. By submitting relevant ceramic data to the LCPin advance of publication, LCP links can be included in published print and digital versions. This will help craft a true partnership between print and digital platforms. At any future point, anyone reading an original print publication (even in digital form) can click on an LCP link and go directly to the relevant page, learn about any new or changed aspects, and also connect that object or ware to other data on the site. LCP pages have stable URLs and so will stay reachable; edits can be viewed in Edit History. A partnership between the LCP and print will help maintain the relevance of publications, and enhance their long-term scholarly utility.[/vc_wp_text][mk_padding_divider][vc_single_image image=”58832″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][mk_padding_divider][vc_wp_text]Connecting scholars to scholarship
What is the future of this collaborative, crowd-sourced project? The numbers tell the story. When we launched LCP 1.0 in 2011, we had 29 contributors, about 200 vessels, and less than 100 page views. We are now humming along with LCP 5.0: easier submission process, notifications, new analytical tools like maps and comparisons – (and, coming soon, lightable!). As of writing (March 26, 2020), the LCP has 410 contributors, over 10,500 vessels, over 5,000 petrographic thin-sections, 100 petro-fabrics, and almost 500 ceramic wares spanning 7,000 years (the numbers keep going up so check out the LCP front page to see the latest total). In 2019, the site had over 55,000 page views, with each session lasting over five minutes.
As for where those page views are coming from, check out the map from Google Analytics below. The colored countries are ones in which somebody consulted the LCP in 2019. So if you think that the subject of Levantine ceramics is too arcane, something of a deep hole that only a specialist could care about – then think again![/vc_wp_text][mk_padding_divider][vc_single_image image=”58802″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][mk_padding_divider][vc_wp_text]Eventually the LCP will allow archaeologists and other researchers to address the sorts of research questions for which ceramics offer basic evidence. Examples: what is the relationship between an imperial economy and local prosperity? Under what conditions do small-scale producers expand? Is the vitality of major exporting centers a function of location, political circumstance, or resource advantages? Do certain clay types lend themselves to certain types of products across long periods of time? Today, such queries are difficult to pursue; it is simply impossible to collect a sufficient amount and variety of data. By continuing to build up the LCP’s storehouse of information and introduce new analytical features, we will create an ever more robust tool.
So if you are an archaeologist who works in the Levant, please consider registering and submitting material to the site. Together we are building a resource to open up the past to everyone.
The ASOR family is a strong and close one, and that fact has never been more evident than in these challenging and stressful times. Due to the rapidly-changing situation with the COVID-19 crisis, we plan to update this letter at least bi-monthly.
Please know that we at ASOR are doing all that we can to continue serving our constituents, while keeping the safety and health of our members, volunteers, officers, and employees as our highest priority.
First, we want to share (and in some cases repeat) the things that we are doing to ensure that everyone is as safe as possible:
Health and Safety of ASOR members and staff—As far as we know, no ASOR members or staff have experienced a COVID-19 illness. If you are aware of anyone who has experienced an illness and if ASOR might provide assistance, please e-mail Andy Vaughn.
The ASOR Office—The James F. Strange Center—in Old Town Alexandria, is operating on remote-only work schedule. The staff is staying in touch with frequent messaging and video conferencing. No layoffs have occurred, and we have applied for a SBA Paycheck Protection Program Loan that was made available through the CARES Act. We anticipate that much of this loan will be forgiven and become similar to a “grant.” Our dedicated staff has been, and continues to be, outstanding.
Physical Mail Delivery—ASOR’s ability to receive and to process physical mail has been greatly reduced. Please consider making membership payments and gifts via our secure online store. Please e-mail info@asor.org if you have questions or need help. You may also send us a phone number by e-mail if you would like us to call you to make a credit card payment over the phone (please do not send credit card information by e-mail).
The ASOR Board Meeting (rescheduled for mid-May) will be held as a virtual video meeting. ASOR continues to test our new Zoom subscription, and we are using this platform more and more to carry out essential business.
Dig Scholarships, Excavation Grants, and Research Fellowships—We have postponed making decisions until at least April 15th. As of the date of this letter, it looks like dig scholarships will be postponed until 2021. We anticipate making a decision on excavation grants and research fellowships later in April or early May. We will segregate endowment distributions and gifts already received for awards in 2021, if necessary. 2020 had been our largest year ever for scholarships, grants, and fellowships, and we are so grateful to all of our supporters. If awards are not made in 2020, the segregated funds will enable a 50% increase in funding over 2019 levels for 2021.
Second, we want to share some of the things that we are doing to support you, our members, while many are practicing social distancing or self-quarantining:
Membership Scholarships Available—If you have experienced a financial challenge because of the COVID-19 crisis (or if you know of an ASOR member who has a need), please ask about a membership scholarship. Some generous members of the ASOR family have pledged funds to pay for membership dues of anyone that has lost employment or substantial income because of this crisis. Please contact Felice Herman or Andy Vaughn for more information.
Online Resources—The ASOR office staff (led by Marta Ostovich [programs@asor.org]) has launched webpages to share resources that will support students, professors, and teachers at all levels who are participating in online education with little advance notice. These pages are expanding daily, and we invite you to participate so that we can help each other by sharing ideas and expertise.
Online access to ASOR journals—The full-text and enhanced online access to ASOR journals have never been more important. Members with online access to journals can not only view the full text of articles, but all illustrations and figures may be downloaded seamlessly into Powerpoint. Click here for a web-page that outlines all of these features. Please e-mail Felice Herman (membership@asor.org) if you have questions.
Publications—Thanks to the excellent work of our editorial teams, the ASOR staff, and our partnerships with University of Chicago Press and with ISD, the production and distribution of ASOR journals and books continue without interruption. Everyone is working remotely as much as possible, and we do not anticipate any interruptions in fulfilling this vital member service.
Annual Meeting—We continue to prepare for our largest and best Annual Meeting in Boston in November. The Program Committee and ASOR staff are working remotely to ensure that the program will be the strongest ever. We, of course, will keep the health of all participants as our highest priority.
General Operations—The ASOR staff and our volunteers continue to respond to e-mails and phone calls. With our staff working remotely, answering phones and voicemail may be delayed. Please consider sending an e-mail if you are able.
Shepard Urgent Action Grants—In the midst of so many things being postponed, we are thrilled to announce a new initiative that we hope can take place in spite of social distancing and self-quarantining efforts. Launched on April 2, 2020, these new grants are designed to address urgent needs for site mitigation and stabilization. Funding may be available in as little as 4-6 weeks following an application. Please check out the webpage and announcement.
Third, we need to share some challenges. We will continue to update you on these items. If you are aware of other issues that we should communicate in subsequent member correspondence, please let us know.
The programs at our Overseas Research Centers in Amman, Jerusalem, and Nicosia are suffering from travel restrictions and cutbacks in fieldwork. Significant portions of their income derive from visits to and work on ASOR field projects and other research, for which they provide essential support and services. These projects for 2020 are being cancelled for the most part. We have been in touch with all the directors. They are coping effectively with the changing circumstances. The Albright in Jerusalem has been particularly hit hard.
ASOR’s Endowment Accounts—Like many institutions, ASOR has invested our endowment accounts using an 80/20 allocation—80% in equities and 20% in bonds and cash. We have thus experienced a significant correction over the first quarter of 2020, and most of our endowments accounts are down 12.1% for the fiscal year (July 1 – June 30). Because we maintain a 20% allocation in bonds and cash, we will re-balance our portfolios this month (April 2020) per our investment guidelines. We also make quarterly distributions based on averages from the last 12 quarters, so we will continue to be conservative in distributing funds from endowments. In addition, the Finance Committee is considering a recommendation to forego distributions for the 1st quarter of 2020 in order to allow our accounts to recover some of their market losses.
ASOR’s Annual Fund (unrestricted giving)—While ASOR remains in sound financial shape, while we have applied for a Paycheck Protection Program Loan, and while we have modest accumulated funds to see us through a challenging year, we need members to consider unrestricted contributions and gifts for member scholarships. To date in this fiscal year (ends June 30, 2020), we have received less than half of the $125,000 that we budgeted for unrestricted giving. Click here to make a gift online.
Finally, we want to conclude as we began—your health and well-being is our highest concern. We are grateful for your continued support of ASOR and of your fellow members. You are, and continue to be, amazing.
Best regards,
Sharon Herbert, ASOR President (president@asor.org)
Andy Vaughn, ASOR Executive Director (executive-director@asor.org)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684098866{margin-right: 5px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_wp_posts title=”BROWSE THE NEWS ARCHIVE” number=”4″][/vc_column][vc_column border_color=”rgba(170,170,170,0.01)” width=”1/6″ css=”.vc_custom_1496684008271{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 30px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;border-right-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;border-bottom-color: rgba(227,228,228,0.75) !important;}”][vc_column_text]Tweets by ASOResearch [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
At the 2019 Annual Meeting in San Diego, Randy Old (President of ACOR’s Board of Trustees) received the W. F. Albright Award. This award honors an individual who has shown special support or made outstanding service contributions to one of the overseas centers, ACOR, AIAR, CAARI, or to one of the overseas committees.
Dr. Jamie Fraser is Senior Curator at the Nicholson Museum (University of Sydney), but will leave Australia to become Curator for the Ancient Levant and Anatolia at the British Museum in April 2020. His book Dolmens in the Levant was awarded the G. Ernest Wright Book Award at the 2018 ASOR Annual Meeting.
At the 2019 ASOR Annual Meeting in San Diego, Assaf Yasur-Landau, Eric H. Cline and Yorke M. Rowan were awarded the G. Ernest Wright Award for their book, 
UPDATED LETTER ON ASOR’S RESPONSES TO COVID-19